• The report states that Uganda hosted 1.6 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2021 after US and Turkey.

• South Sudan accounted for 61% of the total population and DRC 29%.

According to a new report titled The State of Migration in East and Horn of Africa, Uganda was the country of destination for the greatest number of refugees in the area in 2021. Behind the US and Turkey, Uganda was ranked the third-most welcoming nation for refugees in the world, with 1.6 million refugees and asylum seekers living there.

South Sudan accounted for 61% of the refugees and asylum seekers while DRC 29%, the report states, “This is close to 10 times the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda in 2011 (163,000)”. This was because of the large-scale violence in South Sudan in July 2016. Sudan occupied the sixth spot globally in 2021, with 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers.

The DRC, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan are claimed to have had some of the greatest refugee outflows in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of ongoing wars. The report indicates that countries of destination for refugees are often neighboring countries within the region, which shows that refugee flows are primarily contained within the region”. It noted that 93% of the refugee population stayed in the region.

During the launch of the report in Nairobi Kenya, President William Ruto noted that Kenya is dedicated to the regional integration agenda as well as the free movement of people, which he said included the promotion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) to provide people easy access to the vast potentials of the continental markets.

Also, speaking at the launch was Uganda’s Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Hillary Onek who said that the government was ready to work with other countries to implement the recommendations of the report.

The minister verified that thousands of refugees have continued to arrive in Uganda throughout the years, mostly owing to political unrest, economic hardship, and issues with their health and education. He also stated that Uganda agrees with the decision to increase the safety and regularity of migration. 

He said, “The proposals by the African Union to dialogue with the Gulf countries on freedom and rights of African migrants is a welcomed initiative”. Ethiopia (824,000), Kenya (540,000), and the DRC (526,000) were the other top five destinations for refugees in the area.